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...Hannah Howard
Ms. Freel
English II
4/25/13
A Tale of TwoCities
Throughout the book A Tale of TwoCities, Charles Dickens portrays several themes using specific characters. An example of this is Sydney Carton and how he is used to represent redemption. Carton’s character demonstrates redemption through specific events that show how he is redeemed. Through the book Carton’s redemption is shown using Lucie’s child, Carton’s replacing Charles Darnay in jail, and finally dying in Darnay’s place.
The first example of Dickens using Sydney Carton to show redemption is through Lucie Manette’s child. As Carton is about to be executed he sees a vision of what his death will bring and how it is beneficial and the right thing to do in order to bring him a second chance. H sees Lucie having a child with her beloved husband Charles Darnay, who Carton preplaced. Their child is seen to be given Carton’s name, representing him having a new life and another chance to make his name great, instead of being known as a drunk. Carton sees the child doing this specifically by becoming a lawyer and pursuing his dreams with full potential, unlike Carton did himself (372). This brings him redemption because, since the child is acting like a new life/chance for Carton, it is giving his name the opportunity to rise in the honor that he never gave it himself by pursuing his dreams.
He did do one good thing for...

...A Tale of TwoCities, written by Charles Dickens, has many different characters with interesting personalities. Some of the characters in the novel all share one common fact that Dickens used throughout the book. Charles Dickens based the characters of A Tale of TwoCities on himself and his life.
Charles Dickens based the virtuous Charles Darnay as a version of himself. Dickens portrays himself through Charles Darnay in the fact that Dickens and Darnay have the same initials (C.D.) (“A Tale”, Novels for Students par 7). Dickens might be portraying that Darnay and himself have so much in common, so Dickens gave Darnay the same initials. Charles Dickens also presents Darnay’s relationship with Carton to himself. Charles Darnay’s relationship with Sydney Carton could portray Dickens’ own problem with his honorable and commonly negative side (“A Tale”, Novels for Students par 7). Darnay’s relationship with Carton was strong, as seen in the last book where Carton takes Darnay’s place on the guillotine to be killed. Dickens might have done this to symbolize love Dickens had for another friend, just like Darnay had with Carton. As Dickens based himself on Darnay, Dickens might have also based Dr. Manette as a version of himself.
Charles Dickens might have portrayed himself through Dr. Manette. A Gale research source says, “They trace parallels between Manette’s...

...﻿A Tale of TwoCities Paper
Foils exist to highlight certain attributes of a character by introducing a contrasting character. In A Tale of TwoCities, Charles Dickens uses multiple foils between characters in order to emphasize and develop the characters. This can be observed throughout the plot; sinister and ruthless Madame Defarge and innocent and compassionate Lucie Manette are foils of each other, and gloomy yet intelligent Sydney Carton and passionate yet incompetent Charles Darnay are foils of each other. In both cases, the foils in Dickens’ A Tale of TwoCities show similarities and differences that illuminate the novel's important characters through the use of foil.
One of the protagonists, Lucie Manette is portrayed as a beautiful girl with golden hair and blue eyes, yet she not only has beautiful appearances but also has a kind and loving heart. She is very caring and compassionate to those who are around her; she faithfully takes care of her old and ill father whom she did not meet for years. Because of her charming appearance and kind personality, she is loved by many characters in the book. Miss Pross, who took care of Lucie, extremely loves Lucie; she seems devoted to anything that can benefit her “Ladybird”, Lucie’s happiness seems to be the purpose of her life. Her love for Lucie is so strong that it transforms a gentle character...

...Write a brief character sketch of Madame Defarge. Do you think she is justified in wanting Lucie and her family executed?I believe that Madame Defarge is justified in wanting Lucie and her family executed even if it became insanity. Madame Defarge is a stout thirty year old woman, who is married to Ernest Defarge. Madame Defarge is part of the Jacquerie, joined with her husband, and knits the names of all the nobility and spies who should be condemned to death. Madame Defarge was brought into the world as a peasant of the Marquis family. Madame Defarge was very unlucky as a young girl because of witnessing the death of her family because of the Marquis' "power". Madame Defarge's older sister, one day, was taken away by one of the Marquis men who decided that she should be his even though she had already been married. Using his "power" the Marquis took her away from her family and raped her because now she was his property. The Marquis became aware of the family's distress and eventually killed the family all except Madame Defarge because she was taken into hiding to be saved. This man was Charles Darnay's father. The insanity of hatred coming from Madame Defarge is fueled by this event in her life and believes she is right for trying to condemn Lucie and her family to death because they are now part of the Marquis family by the means of marriage between Lucie and Darnay. Madame Defarge is seeking revenge for her family and wants to make sure this happens to make things...

...The Twins of A Tale of TwoCities
When people see twins, they would usually assume that they are the same. However, after people get to know them, they will notice the difference in their personalities. Some twins are the exact opposite of each other just like Carton and Darnay. In A Tale of TwoCities by Charles Dickens, the French Revolution is a time of change, danger, injustice, and vengeance. The French Revolution influences the two families of Dr. Manette and Monsieur Defarge in the twocities of London and Paris. The characters Carton and Darnay look like each other, but they are not brothers and are very different. While Charles Darnay is the same throughout the book, Sydney Carton changes to be the most heroic, because he is deeper, much more intelligent, and dynamic.
Carton and Darnay look alike, but Carton is deeper and braver unlike the shallow Darnay. In the beginning of the book, Carton saves Darnay by pointing out their similarities, which in the end saves Darnay from death. By the end, Carton is brave enough to give up his life for Darnay and to keep his promise to Lucie, his love. Carton promises, “For you, and any dear to you, I will do anything… there is a man who would give up his life, to keep a life you love beside you!” (117). Carton promises Lucie to anything for her to have a happy life. He is brave enough to stand by...

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Love and hate are both emotions that people use to express themselves; though these two are complete ample opposites, they are also immensely related. Like tools, both factors are neither good nor bad. It is how we use them that decide whether they contribute to harmony or conflict and if one is used, the other always plays a sufficient role. Charles Dickens connects both emotions within the characters and events to develop the famous novel, Tale of TwoCities.
Love and hate are very perceptible emotions, allowing Dickens to effectively open his novel. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going to direct the other way"(pg9Dickens)." This quote elucidates how this time period is filled with great contractions and extremes, from good to bad, foreshadowing love and hate within the characters and society to come.
Dickens too uses numerous characters to define the hateful tone developed in the novel, particularly seen in Madam Defarge. In the book, Dickens uses her to express hate to the Evremondes by sewing each of the victim's names in the knitting. Madam Defarge openly states precisely what she is doing, in addition to...

...A TALE OF TWOCITIES: PLOT SYNOPSIS
SHORT SUMMARY (Synopsis)
In 1775, Mr. Jarvis Lorry, an official of Tellson's Bank in London, accompanies Lucie Manette to Paris. He has information that her father, Dr. Alexandre Manette, who had disappeared eighteen years ago, is alive. He had been wrongfully imprisoned in the Bastille and left there to die. Lucie is shaken when she learns that her father is still living. On reaching Paris, they go to the house of Monsieur Defarge, a wine-seller. He had been Dr. Manette's servant and has taken care of him after his release from prison. Both Mr. Lorry and Lucie are shocked to see the terrible state Doctor Manette is in. He has aged prematurely, having lost both his memory and his sense. He spends his time cobbling shoes. The revolutionary ardor and hatred against oppression are fanned every time Defarge and his associates look at this wreck of a man, who has been a victim of the aristocracy. Mr. Lorry and Lucie take her father back to London. With love and compassion, Lucie plans to nurse her father back to health and sanity.
Five years later, in 1780, a young Frenchman, named Charles Darnay, is accused of being a traitor and a spy. Lucie and her father are reluctant witnesses for the prosecution, as they had met him while travelling from Calais to Dover. Lucie stresses the good qualities of the accused while imparting her testimony. The evidence against him is overwhelming as the prosecution...

...Brianne Ramsay
Draft
In A Tale of TwoCities, deep symbolism and complex themes are an integral part played by the book to capture the reader's attention and fill one with a sense of intrigue. One of the most recognizable is the theme of resurrection. Throughout the novel, characters and situations again and again allude to rising to a new life. Most prominently so are Alexandre Manette, Charles Darnay, and Sydney Carton.
Book I of A Tale of TwoCities is centered mostly on the rescue of Alexandre Manette from the horrid French prison, the Bastille; thus, it is titled “Recalled to Life”. Alexandre Manette once had a full life; one of peace and contentment. Imprisoned unjustly, his intellect—and all that was sane in his brilliant mind—dies. Enter Lucie Manette, his daughter, glowing with life and youth. Her love and patience, and simply the realization that she is his daughter, brings Manette back to sanity and health; in a sense, back to life.
Alexandre Manette is not, however, the only person whose life Lucie touches. Charles Darnay also is influenced, to the point of asking Lucie to marry him—and bring new life into the world. Lucie accepts, and thus forms a family tie that will prove essential when Darnay becomes imprisoned in later years. Also essential for Darnay's rescue is the wit of Sydney Carton; who, through saving him from imprisonment, has once before brought Darnay a...